Malachi 4

Soa avao iareo? 

Yep, I just started my email with an antandroy question: Are you all still good?

This week was good as always. I have come to realise that I have learned so much more on my mission than I thought. This past week, I made an interesting discovery. The word Famindram-po in malagasy means Mercy, and derives from the words Famindrana and fo. Famindrana is the noun form of the word mamindra, meaning to transplant or to move, and fo means heart. Put the two words together, and it makes mercy. As I was pondering on this, Malachi chapter 3 came into mind and I was reminded that god would plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers, and the hearts of the children would turn to their fathers. What an amazing promise! I remember the promise that god gave to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that they would be fathers of numberless children, of which we are. i am eternally grateful for that promise.

Jesus is made of mercy. It is said in the scriptures that when he was contemplating the sudden and unfortunate execution of his cousin, John the Baptist, he saw a crowd of over 5,000 people following him hungry and weary, and it gives the wording that his heart was moved with compassion for them. Mercy me! I feel that same feeling when I see someone struggling in their lives, striving their best to please the lord. Often I have been constrained to act on these prompings. One example came a couple of weeks ago when I saw 2 children sound asleep with no blankets or pillows under the shadow of our church building on the pavement. It made my heartstrings play Lindsey Stirling. It was more than just a movement of compassion; I felt more of like a tsunami of love wash over me seeing those poor african kids. Have any of you felt this love for someone else in your lives? Can you relate? Think about it.

I am doing fantastic, the work is going great, things have been looking up for us in the tanambao branch. Yesterday we had around 60 people come to church. Incredible! At the lowest part of this branchs history, we had only around 20 or so come. A contrast indeed.

Brothers and Sisters, the truthfulness of this church rests deep in my heart like the remains of the titanic sits at the bottom of the atlantic ocean. Nothing will change it, save it be my own action. I know firmer than a diamond floor that the book of mormon is true and that the unlocking of this dispensation by the keys of Mercy has allowed us to remember the promises that were made to our fathers and in return open up the way for our fathers to turn with a desire hotter than the sun in their hearts to follow in our foot steps and go on to the way of salvation. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, and the gates of hell don't dare step foot on the welcome mat that sits up front.

I love you all. I hope that this past week was good for you and that this next week will give you better experiences for the trials coming in your life.

Love,

Elder Johnson

Yes, I was visiting a member in the hospital who had just gotten out of surgery. Poor thing. I wouldn't even want to sleep in that place for 2 minutes. Too sketchy!